Dunnock
wip ---- }}|display: none;| |}} font-weight:normal;border:1px solid #3a2b23; color:#fff2c4; background:#664f39;" | Background Information |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Creator | soi-ke |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Attribute | Aimlessness |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Element | earth |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Colour | green |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Animal | passerine birds |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Alignment | chaotic good |- ! colspan="2" style=" }|display: none;| |}} font-weight:normal;border:1px solid #3a2b23; color:#fff2c4; background:#664f39;" |'Character Information' |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Age | 31 (hy) |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Gender | female |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Orientation | bisexual |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Tribe | vermian sandwing |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Occupation | robber, bard |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Residence | drifts between cities, but frequents the Scorpion Den |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Birthplace | the Ratlands |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Relatives | Grebe (younger sister) - Vocifer (younger sister) - Hoopoe (younger brother) - Lapwing (younger brother, deceased) - unnamed mother and father (missing) |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Allies | a matter of convenience generally, but trusting of her siblings |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Enemies | aristocrats and royalty - slavers - grave robbers - her lack of impulse control |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Likes | music of any kind - fancy food - flying or hiking, just seeing the world - the thrill of a heist - compliments and praise from her siblings |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Aversions | alcohol - condescension on the part of others, being talked down to - SandWing nobility - shackles - fire |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Powers and Abilities | fast-thinker and witty - highly charismatic - competent swordfighter - weaker fire and lacking in physical might compared to a standard SandWing - highly dexterous - agility aided by small stature - excellent musician, limited sorcery via music |- style="border-top: 1px solid #c9987e; border-bottom: 1px solid #c9987e;" | Weapons | flamberge sword - pan flute - magic |- |} |} Appearance Dunnock seems older and more jaded than she actually is. Her scratched, bruised scales and muscular frame tell the tale of a time-taught bandit, who's seen more than a clawful of scuffles in her lifetime. Despite this, intimidation isn't an option for her. Her stature is that of a pure-blooded Vermian SandWing, a subspecies that stands less than half the height of an average SandWing. Her wings are poorly proportioned, small and pixyish, while her tail is disproportionately lengthened. A cheap bronze imitation takes the place of the bard’s tail barb, indistinguishable from the real deal without closer inspection. Her scales generally err towards a subdued daffodil tone, greying and darkening towards her back. The bard's body is halved lengthwise by a chain of bone-coloured underscales, culminating in a circular pattern around both her sharp, narrowed eyes. A messily-drawn line of ink symbols runs parallel to her spine. A well-informed observer would notice that they are letters written in Ratspeak - the language supposedly employed by Vermian kingdoms of yore. An even more well-informed observer would recognize that they form a nonsensical string of random words, with no apparent continuity. Dunnock’s eyes are the yellow of sparkling gold, and have a mischievous glow to them. They pair well with the friendly yet simultaneously smug smirk she opts towards. Her brass-hued horns and claws are long and sharp, well-maintained by the master thief. The bard’s ears are large and sharp, so as to allow heat to escape in the burning desert air. The left one is pierced with a strange, green tag, scrawled with draconic words too small to be read at a glance. Dunnock’s sail, befitting her Vermian heritage - is tall and jagged, a blood-red canvas that turns to orange towards its flared edges. The surface of the ridge is lined with angular white markings, appearing akin to some form of royal filigree, that are shared by every member of her family. Dunnock tends to don a green gambeson tunic and a more aesthetically subdued pair of jack of plate trousers, built of sturdy steel and felt. Meagre pieces of protection perhaps, but her choice of outfit has turned aside many a fatal arrow or sword strike. She prefers to wear a pair of comfortable linen wrappings on her hind legs, made for long treks across burning sand. An expertly-carved pan flute hands from her shoulders on a corded necklace, while her trusty arming sword is kept in a sheathe on her left hip. ---- The thief has three things she is careful to always have on her person, preferring to keep them safe and in sight. The first is a fancy cloud-coloured cape, of a luxurious quality that contrasts the rest of her appearance. It was the first thing she ever stole from a noble, and holds great sentimental value. Whenever she has need of a replacement, Dunnock will seek out the exact same noble and help herself to another one, just as she did on her first outing as a robber. Good memories. The second is a wooden medallion, with a star carved into it. It usually sees use as a pin for her cape, but is sometimes attached to a necklace or wristband. Dunnock says it was a gift. The third and most strange are the bandages she has wrapped around her forearms. She refuses to let anyone see her without them, to the point of sleeping with them on. But what could the thief possibly be hiding about her arms? Are they scarred? Burned? Did she get some incredibly embarrassing tattoos when she was younger? Whatever the case, Dunnock prefers to keep people guessing. It's safer that way. Personality Dunnock talks all the time - it’s kind of her thing. The bard has a way with words, both plainly spoken and woven into song. An expressive, witty conversationalist, she has a particularly charismatic sense of humour and an unnatural understanding of the thoughts and feelings of those around her. The diminutive thief has built up a reputation as a smooth-talker over the years, and can be devilishly persuasive when the situation calls for it. Her constant chit-chat, even when there’s not a living soul to chit-chat too, is a crucial factor in keeping her calm and collected in the face of certain death. Dunnock takes care to maintain an air of professionalism, never succumbing to panic and staunchly refusing to show the slightest telltales of fear, even when she is absolutely terrified. Even when the bard has absolutely no idea what’s happening, she never fails to look as if she’s in control. But Dunnock is just as much a thinker as a talker. Years of experience have taught her the importance of thinking well and thinking fast - that her brain was her greatest weapon. With a penchant for quick thinking and intuition, the bard’s keen mind and wit more than make up for her physical limitations as a Vermian. And the tales the bard can weave are praiseworthy to say the least. It’s easy to underestimate how just much Dunnock has seen in her three decades of life. Winding chronicles of royal intrigue and politicking, ballads of noble knight-errants, fables of scheming sorcerers and witch-queens; her words and songs can sate any story-starved adventurer. In times of crisis and confusion, the bard never fails to have an inspiring parable at the ready. Dunnock strives to be superficially kind, at least. Polite, well-mannered, and respectful of others’ boundaries and feelings. Sure, she’ll gladly rob people for no reason, but being rude on top of that just doesn’t sit right with her. But superficially is the key word here - as proficient as she is at making friends, she’s pretty terrible at keeping them. When not interacting with fellow Vermians, Dunnock has an unhealthy habit of assuming the worst of people. A deep reluctance to truly trust anyone, in conjunction with a taught fear of abandonment, have resulted in a general inability to work well with others. This is probably for the best, better that she and she alone is the victim of her recklessness and self-destructive tendencies. Besides, she works better as a solo act anyways. Her siblings are among a few exceptions to her lonesome nature - she’d do absolutely anything for them. Of course, they’re also Vermians, so they definitely don’t think lesser of Dunnock for her heritage. But more than that, they’re her family and they’ve been there since the start. All the worst days of her life were shared with them, overcame with them by her side. Simply talking to her isn’t enough for the bard to consider one a friend. At her core, Dunnock is a dragon who builds trust through sharing experiences - by living life alongside people. And when this trust is firm, the robber proves far less self-serving than her occupation would imply. Dunnock isn’t cowardly nor selfish when things get desperate. She would gladly give even her life to, say, save a sibling or close friend. The more one is exposed her actions, the more apparent it becomes that the bard is bound by steadfast principles. She has never taken a life. She never steals from people who don’t have much to begin with. She always attempts to flee or talk before resorting to violence. Dunnock likely wouldn’t be a thief if it weren’t for her impulse-driven nature. Left to her own devices, the bard often slumps into a state of ennui, of aimlessness. A tense, pulse-quickening heist is the fastest way for her to escape her chronic, underlying demons. It gets the adrenaline flowing, and keeps life from getting too close for comfort. The bard has come to be defined by an everlasting conflict between her wiser, kinder nature and her uncontrollable hunger for thrills. Dunnock’s air of calm is somewhat misleading. It’s not so much that she’s in charge of her feelings, rather, the bard flies between emotional extremes, from icy calmness to passionate rage or excitement. She lives fast and inconsistently, in a way that’s frankly hard to keep up with. History text Relationships text Trivia text